Congress moves closer to implementing E-Verify for government new hires

Congress voted today for an amendment that would restrict any federal agency funded by the 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations bill to hire an employee without using the federal government’s E-Verify program.

House legislation, H.R. 2354, adopted the E-Verify amendment in the full Appropriations Committee. However activists promise it will find more scrutiny as it works its way through the full legislative process.

“With 9.2 percent of Americans out of work, I am pleased to see the E-Verify language approved by my colleagues in the House,” Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-MISS) said about his amendment. “Over 22 million Americans search for work on a daily basis, while research estimates that over 7 million U.S. jobs are held by illegal aliens. This is a common-sense amendment that simply uses the appropriations process to enforce the E-Verify system that is currently in place.”AdvertisementClick here to find out more!

Currently the E-Verify Program is a voluntary program that enables employers to verify the name, Social Security Number and alien identification number (for non-citizens) for employment. E-Verify boasts of a 96 percent accuracy rate, but dissenters argue it’s the remaining 4 percent that warrants employers not to participate with the government program.

“Illegal employment is a contributing factor to our nation’s current debt problem. In these harsh economic times, it is important to make sure illegal aliens are not in the workforce. U.S. jobs should go to legal workers,” Nunnelee finished.